[mod_python] Why unknown encoding: iso-8859-2 using mod_python ?

shell interpreter is able use that encoding:
>>> "Zażółć żółtą gęśl".decode("iso-8859-2").encode("utf-8")
'Za\xc5\xbc\xc3\xb3\xc5\x82\xc4\x87 \xc5\xbc\xc3\xb3\xc5\x82t\xc4\x85 
g\xc4\x99\xc5\x9bl'
while mod_python's interpreter refuses ...

Any ideas why ?
TIA

-- 
Mateusz Korniak
easy.com  easy.go